Centuries Of Love
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Claudine has wandered the earth for thousands of years in search of the reincarnation of the soul of her long-lost wife, Elizabeth. But if or when she ever does find such a person, will Claudine ever be able to love her the same way...?(Vampire AU).
1. Prologue

**As we all know, the mobile game rocked our world with the notion of Vampire!Claudine, and then one of my patrons nadie95 requested me to do a small vampire AU story... And then I just didn't stop writing it and it became 4 chapters long haha!**

**I'm not too familiar with the events of the game, but I was told Claudine/her vampire character had a wife named Elizabeth who died. So this fic is going to be based off that notion; the immortal vampire Claudine is searching the world for her long-lost love's reincarnation.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.**

* * *

Centuries of Love

Prologue.

For centuries, she's wandered the earth, ragged and worn, cold and joyless, stealing the warmth from the veins of unsuspecting passerby to sustain herself just barely beyond the point of no return.

Her tattered clothes tell of the era from whence she came, layers and frills and collars, which always make her stand out in the modern ages of shorts and skirts and sandals.

One of the few powers she has left is her ability to mask her presence, and she uses it often. She's kept to the shadows all this time, only taking blood when she most needs it, typically from sleeping girls - she'd never touch a man if she could help it.

The girls she drank from rarely ever stirred when she fed - Claudine was always gentle with them. They all reminded her of her long-lost wife Elizabeth in some way, shape, or form. Some had similar hair, some had a similar complexion, some had a similar face.

But none of them tasted like her; none of them drew Claudine's soul to theirs like her centuries-late lover's had.

She'd lost track of time since Elizabeth had died and left Claudine searching for the incarnate of her soul. There was a tug, like the thinnest thread, thinner than a hair or the web of a spider, pulling at her heartstrings.

It's led her for many, many years. Searching.

Some days, she felt it might be best to simply let herself wither away.

But then she remembers how Elizabeth had passed, too early and too unfairly, how she'd promised Claudine those four words that have echoed - aching - through her soul for more time than she cared to remember:

_"I'll find you again…"_

It had been a promise - the promise of a mortal human with a mortal lifespan, to an immortal being. Claudine wasn't about to let herself fade away, not until she'd fulfilled that promise and lived a full, fair life together with her.

So she followed that feeling, that tug of the string of fate.

Sometimes she felt she got close, only to lose that feeling. But never entirely. There was always _something_ there, driving her forward, even if just an inch each day.

She followed that feeling, that guiding light in her soul trying relentlessly to bring her back to the one she loved most dearly in all the worlds and universes and times.

She's searched far and wide, often getting close, sometimes deceitfully so.

But she knew the second she tasted their blood that none of them were who she sought. It all tasted dull, flavorless, cold. She'd know Elizabeth's blood even after all these years, but she's yet to taste it again.

Whenever she did - _if_ she ever did - she'd know for sure she'd found her soulmate again.

But until then, she continues to wander through the countries, seasons, and people.

Waiting...

* * *

**A/N: This isn't really going to cover how Claudine became a vampire; that's going to be up for your interpretation (or whatever the game dictated, if that's relevant).**

**Please review!**


	2. The String Of Fate

**Where will the string of fate lead Claudine next...?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.**

* * *

Chapter 1. The String Of Fate

Perhaps the only benefit of being what she is is that Claudine has learned how to mask her presence from humans over the years.

Most of them barely notice she's near them, and the few who might take note never spare a second glance.

It's made it much easier for her to invade homes in the middle of the night and drink. But more importantly, it's made it much easier for her to travel.

She'd once been able to take the shape of a bat or raven, but she'd fallen out of practice. She'd always feared she might get stuck in animal form, which would prevent her Elizabeth from ever recognizing her.

So Claudine has remained in the form of a person, slinking silently onto buses and trains and planes all across the globe, trying to figure out which direction that thread in her heart was pulling her.

She'd returned to her origins in France, only to find how drastically it had all changed in modern times, and it'd made her chest ache. She'd been to India and America this year alone, searching every state and county and province, but the tugging of that thread remained weak and feeble.

She was, for the most part, directionless, unable to decipher a path for herself, even now...

She'd only just fed last night - some pretty brown-haired waitress with the same tasteless blood - and typically after she'd drank her senses would grow stronger.

But today marks the day where she'd searched every last corner of America - islands included - and found nothing. With no clue of where to go next, she makes her way to the nearest airport on foot and simply boards whatever plane is closest.

She waits until every person has taken their seat, then glides to an empty spot in the back. No one notices her as she goes.

Her seat ends up being beside an old couple. The grey-haired woman is smiling and rambling on to her husband about the grandchildren she can't wait to see.

Claudine listens, silent as the dead. She wishes Elizabeth had grown to be this old, had lived out her life to the fullest, even if Claudine would remain the same. But instead, she'd perished in her early twenties from some unknown sickness.

And it hadn't been quick.

Elizabeth had withered away - suffered - and she'd always said she was glad for the drawn-out descent, because it'd meant she got to keep seeing Claudine for a little while longer.

When she'd passed, it had been so quiet Claudine hadn't even noticed. She'd just gone to sleep one night and never woken again.

Claudine's emotions have dulled over the years with barely anyone to speak to or interact with. But she always felt this same guilt, this same regret, this same pining stronger than anything.

It eats away at her all through the flight, where an announcement eventually informs her is heading for Japan. She supposes that will do. She hasn't been there in several years. Perhaps she'll find something there.

After many hours, when the plane lands and the people sleep, Claudine stays awake. She can close her eyes, but she could never sleep around so many of them, for fear her presence-cloaking might wear off.

So she sits in silence, lost in her thoughts and her memories of what the world had once been in Elizabeth's time.

After some amount of time - which Claudine has learned to never keep track of - the plane flies again, before finally landing at an airport in Japan.

She's mastered every country's language by now, and her ears adjust to the change as people begin to stand and exit the plane. Claudine slips out after the old couple and steps onto solid ground.

The feeling here is different from some other countries. There is a tightness in the air, the feeling of needing to be somewhere at an exact time, a bustling sense of urgency and cleanliness.

But unlike all of these people, Claudine has no time limit.

She weaves slowly through them, not one of them looking back when they bump into her, and if it's because of her cloak or their own rushing, she can't be sure, nor does she care.

The feeling stirs in her chest as it always does, squirming like an insect caught in a web, fumbling, trying to find the best way to pull. Claudine does her best to make sense and follow it.

She wanders an entire day and night by foot, and then half of the following day, unsure of which district she's wound up in. From what she can recall, most of them are similar - bright, organized, crowded. This one has many establishments for shopping and businesses, a few eateries here and there.

But she pays little mind to any of it.

Because she... _feels_ something.

Deep, deep in her soul. She can feel it.

It's guiding her somewhere, somewhere close. Her heart hasn't moved this much in ages, and it's filling her body with so many strange feelings that she begins to tremble. Her mind starts to race with blank thoughts, her feet moving this way and that, taking her in desperate circles.

"Where…?" she utters, and it's the first word she's spoken out loud in months. Her voice is cracked and thin, and her accent is a bit off for this language. "Where…? Where are you? Elizabeth-"

She rounds another corner, peers into another building, scours another sidewalk.

She's close. She's never been this close before, not since the night her wife had died so long ago. In all her travels and wanderings she's _never_ felt this much chaos inside her chest.

Before she knows it, Claudine begins to run, which is something she hasn't done in as long as she can remember. She's never had the reason to. She's never been in this desperate, life-altering hurry before.

Japan. Japan is where she is.

She hadn't felt this pull the last time she'd been here, so perhaps Elizabeth's spirit had been elsewhere before, or perhaps it had yet to be reborn. Either way, Claudine knows this _must_ be her soulmate calling out for her after so many lifetimes have passed.

She's found her. She's finally found her…

Claudine dashes, her outdated dress whipping out behind her, heart jolting, as she rounds the nearest building and-

"I found you."

She knocks fully into the person who'd said this and nearly bowls them both over. Claudine feels herself falling back and braces for the hard impact.

But then something happens that's never happened before.

A hand reaches out and grabs onto hers, fingers curling tightly around her wrist, giving her a tug to correct her balance. Claudine hadn't lifted her cloaking spell. No one should be able to see, let alone touch her.

"I'm so sorry," the other person says. "Are you all right?"

Dazed, Claudine looks down at the flat black shoes around white ankles, the dark blue skirt falling just to her knees, a white blouse with cuffed sleeves and a popped collar, long brown hair-

Her eyes are like lavender.

Claudine's heart throbs. So hard it causes her to stagger, putting the hand the stranger doesn't have a hold of to her chest. She clutches her chest, unsure of what this feeling is. It hurts, but it doesn't bring her only pain. There's something else - or perhaps many other things she can't name.

Startled, the human girl steps closer to her, keeping a firm hold on her wrist.

"Miss? Are you all right? Should I call an ambulance?"

Claudine manages to shake her head, biting back a gasp. She raises her head and looks again into those eyes.

They aren't Elizabeth's eyes. The hair is a similar color, but this girl is much more well-built than Claudine's petite late wife had been. There are no striking physical similarities.

But the chaos in Claudine's chest tells her this is the one, the person who had inherited the soul she's been seeking.

She has to be sure. She has to know for sure this is Elizabeth.

And there's only one way to do that.

Claudine moves her free hand from her chest to her mouth to conceal any potential glimpses of her fangs.

The other girl remains tense and worried, waiting for some kind of response. Claudine straightens up at last, feeling the warmth of the girl's hand radiating through her own cold skin, skin that has been untouched for centuries.

"You…" she rasps, eyes unblinking as she stares. "What did you mean… when you said that?"

"Pardon?"

Claudine swallows behind her palm, blood rushing in her veins.

"You said… 'I found you.' What exactly did you mean by that? I don't recall ever seeing you before in my life."

The girl tilts her head curiously, her panic slowly fading now as she realizes Claudine wasn't harmed by their collision.

"Oh, you see I came to town today to shop with some friends of mine. I got separated from them and was searching, and something told me to come this way. I thought for sure you were one of them, but I guess I was mistaken. My apologies."

Mistaken. If this girl was mistaken, was Claudine mistaken as well? Did this work if only _one_ of them was drawn to the other in a one-sided chase? If Elizabeth's vessel wasn't also actively seeking her - if she'd _forgotten_ Claudine altogether - then was her arduous journey all these years for naught? Had the first words Maya had ever spoken to her - being so _very_ similar to the last ones Elizabeth had ever said to her - been a mere coincidence...?

Claudine is quiet, but unable to draw her eyes away from the girl's gaze. She's never seen her before in her existence - of that she's certain.

So why does looking at her fill Claudine with some unspeakable sense of nostalgia?

"No…" she murmurs. "It can't be…"

"Pardon?" The girl still has her hand around Claudine's, and Claudine hasn't felt the need to wrench it away just yet. She keeps her other hand over her mouth as she elaborates.

"I, too... was searching for someone."

The girl blinks.

"Well, I don't recall ever seeing you before in my life either. But was it me, nonetheless?"

Claudine looks deep into her soul, feeling her heart throb again and again. Even if there's no recognition in this girl's eyes, Claudine's soul recognizes hers _somehow_. She exhales slowly through her fingers and shakes her head.

"I don't know..."

The brown-haired girl smiles, something innocent and kind.

"Well then, perhaps spending some time with me shall provide you with an answer. Pardon my saying, but you seem a bit pale, Miss. Perhaps you would care to accompany me for some lunch?"

Claudine blinks, and the hand slowly falls away from her mouth. She keeps her lips pursed and the fangs out of sight.

"Excuse me?"

"Lunch," the girl repeats. "There are quite a few places I could show you." Her eyes travel down over Claudine's person and she suddenly feels self-conscious; another thing she hasn't felt in centuries. "Your clothes are a bit dirty and torn. I could give you something more comfortable to wear, if you'd like."

Claudine narrows her eyes and hardens her heart, suddenly overcome with a sense of defensiveness.

"And why should I accompany you?" she snarls. "You've not even given your name."

A look of surprise comes across the girl's face.

"I beg your pardon. How rude of me." She finally lets go of Claudine's hand so she may dip herself forward into a formal bow. "Tendo Maya, at your service."

Claudine blinks, slowly curling her fingers in against the fabrics of her dress.

'Tendo Maya'. She's never heard the name before in all her existence - she's certain. But some way, somehow, it ignites a nostalgic little spark in her chest. The smallest flame comes to life in the cold dark shadows of her soul. Without realizing it, she repeats the name back.

"Tendo… Maya…"

The girl - Maya - nods.

"Indeed. Would you mind telling me your name as well?"

Claudine hadn't spoken or told her name to anyone in eons. If she'd been a shred more forgetful than she is, she surely would've lost it long ago. She remembers to reverse her first and last name for the sake of the language.

"Saijou," she mumbles. "Saijou Claudine."

As she speaks her own name aloud, a tiny thought crosses her mind. She'd been born and lived most of her life in France, but her father had been Japanese. Perhaps it only make some shred of sense she's tracked Elizabeth's soul all the way back here now.

Maya looks at her thoughtfully and nods. There's a smile on her lips. Claudine feels something in her chest, and she isn't sure if it's more curiosity or irritation.

"What is it?"

"Oh," Maya says. "My apologies. I was merely thinking that's such a charming name. It's beautiful."

Claudine's heart does something strange again - strange, but not altogether unpleasant. She doesn't know what to say, so she simply crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. Maya chuckles.

"Well then, Saijou-san, would you mind accompanying me to lunch?"

Claudine takes a step back and eyes her warily. Perhaps she should evade this girl for now and tail her in secrecy, then take a bite from her neck in the night to test her blood. So Claudine snaps a cold reply.

"You'd best not get involved with me, Tendo Maya." She whirls around and begins stalking away, already trying to formulate a plan-

"Pardon me," Maya calls out from behind her. "But please allow me to decide for myself who I get involved with."

Claudine stops stiffly in her tracks. She holds still a moment before slowly turning back to her, eyes narrowed and suspicious. But not angry.

"You don't know what you're dealing with." Claudine lets her lips curl back a little, just shy of revealing her fangs.

But Maya simply shrugs.

"I know _who_ I'm dealing with, though. Saijou Claudine."

And there's just something about this girl, Tendo Maya. Something that irks Claudine and draws her back to her at the same time. That suave, smug confidence and that daring light in her eyes…

"Fine," Claudine snaps without even realizing it. Maya smiles.

"Wonderful. I'll do my best to show you a good time." She approaches Claudine again until she's once more standing beside her. "Now, are you certain you wouldn't like to go visit a hospital first?" Her smile wavers just a little, and the concern comes back into her tone and eyes. Claudine steps away, heart squirming.

"I'm certain."

Maya dips her head.

"Very well. Then let me show you to a wonderful little shop. It might benefit you to change out of those old clothes first."

Claudine feels she would've taken offense if anyone else had said such words any differently. But for some reason, this girl saying them just as she had doesn't really faze or upset her. Claudine simply nods.

"Very well…"

Maya's smile returns.

"Excellent. Now then, if you wouldn't mind?" She offers her hand expectantly. Claudine regards her palm like a wild deer might, confused and startled. Maya elaborates. "Pardon my saying, but you do seem a bit unsteady. I would feel much better if I could support you a bit."

Claudine begins to realize just how dangerous this Tendo Maya girl really is. She doesn't have any weapons or pose a physical threat, per se. But she's so cunningly charming she causes Claudine's body to move on its own. She doesn't _think_. She just lifts her hand and sets it into Maya's.

And the smile comes again.

"Thank you very much. I promise I'll take good care of you, Saijou-san."

And she lifts Claudine's hand to her lips with a kiss.

Claudine feels her heart resound in her chest, and the flame inside her grows stronger. She says nothing more now as Tendo Maya leads her off down the sidewalks as if they'd been doing this all their lives.

She first brings Claudine to a clothing shop complete with every color, size, and fabric imaginable.

Initially, Claudine is hesitant to remove the dress she's worn for so long - the only clothes she's known for so many years - but Maya assures her she'll fold them up, bring them along, and even wash them for her. She selects a few items for Claudine to try on and hands them to her, then directs her toward the changing room.

Claudine follows her around more perplexed than anything; to some it would probably look like a teenaged girl trying to lead around her grandmother.

When Claudine is inside the changing room, Maya tells her to take her time.

It takes her a long moment, but Claudine eventually sheds the clothes that had become a second skin to her. They'd been what she was wearing the day she'd lost Elizabeth.

She doesn't let the dress touch the floor. She gathers it into her arms and folds it gently before placing it aside on the bench. She fumbles with the black leggings she pulls from the pile Maya had handed her, her body having forgotten what it felt like to move so much at such odd angles.

Eventually she pulls them up, then selects a strawberry-colored skirt. Finally, she pulls on a pink blouse, something loose and breathable, before running her nails through her curls. She beholds herself in the mirror and nearly gasps. But in a good way.

She… rather likes this. Perhaps a bit more than she'd anticipated.

She lingers for a while, as time had never really mattered to her. But she forgets it still matters to most other people in the world. Maya's tentative call comes from the other side of the door.

"Saijou-san? Is everything all right?"

Claudine quickly gathers up her old dress and leaves the untouched pile of clothes on the bench. She exits just as it appears Maya was about to knock. The girl's eyes widen in surprise at the sight of her.

"My… Saijou-san, you look positively stunning. Do you like it?"

Claudine wrinkles her nose a little and turns her face away.

"I suppose… I don't dislike it…"

Maya chuckles.

"Then it's settled." She guides Claudine by the elbow to the cashier, and it able to convince her to let Claudine keep the clothes on instead of changing back out to purchase them. Maya buys them for her and a few articles for herself, then folds Claudine's old dress into the bag to carry out with them.

Claudine is a bit nervous stepping out into the world like this for the first time ever. She feels her presence-suppressing cloak has lost its powers when she's with Maya, like people can actually _see_ her now, and she isn't sure if she likes that.

But with how carefree and confident Maya is, even though she's only just met Claudine, it's difficult not to share some of her bravery.

So Claudine steps out into the world beside her, dressed for the first time ever in the clothes of the modern era.

The air feels different, touching skin that's never been exposed before, caressing her neck and lifting her hair. Claudine pauses on the sidewalk for a moment and tries getting used to the feeling.

Maya waits patiently, amused by the strange girl's behavior. After a moment, she taps Claudine's shoulder.

"Would you still care to join me for lunch?"

Claudine says nothing, but nods.

She follows Maya to a small cafe that smells of bread and coffee. Plants decorate the window sills, and little paintings hang on the walls.

Claudine has seen many establishments similar to this around the world in recent years. She's taken refuge from the rain or snow in them before, of course ensuring that no one could see her.

This is the first time she's gone in without her spell active. She nearly flinches upon entry, expecting people to look up and glare at her or start muttering suspiciously.

But not a soul takes note of her or Maya as they walk inside. Claudine attributes it to her change in attire - now that she blends in better, people probably don't see any reason to gawk if they do see her.

She trails behind Maya to the counter, where a girl in an apron smiles and asks for their order. Maya turns too Claudine.

"What would you like, Saijou-san?"

Claudine tenses at being put on the spot. She shakes her head and quickly steps back.

"Nothing," she mutters.

Maya just keeps smiling, which is rather infuriating, but also charming at the same time. She turns back to the barista and orders a coffee, a tea, a pastry, and a slice of pie. She pays and gathers everything into her arms, along with the shopping bags still on her wrist, and guides Claudine to a table near the window.

She deposits all of her things as Claudine sits quietly, still feeling a bit exposed, like a hare in an open field, no shelter. Maya casually takes a sip from her coffee, then cuts into the pastry. She pushes the pie and tea over to Claudine.

"My treat," she smiles.

Claudine wrinkles her nose.

"I'm not hungry."

"Even if that's the case, you look like you could do with a bit of sugar."

Claudine huffs. She can't just come out and tell this girl she's a thousands-of-years-old vampire whose body doesn't require human sustenance and whose taste buds can't recognize most flavors beyond blood. She can eat food, but it never tastes like anything. Even blood barely tastes like anything since Elizabeth had died, so Claudine finds little pleasure in eating or drinking in general.

But this girl… This girl might be something…

The only way to know for sure is to drink from her, and if she wants to do that without her cloak, Claudine needs to stay close and earn her trust.

So she complies, begrudgingly taking up her fork and knife - which she admittedly hasn't held in years - and cutting the end off her apple pie. As expected, she doesn't taste anything, but she can feel some kind of sensation in her mouth as she chews.

Maya seems triumphant that she's gotten her to eat, and that irks Claudine a little, somehow. Maya takes a bite of her pastry, then a sip of her coffee.

"So then, Saijou-san. I don't believe I've ever seen you around these parts. I surely would have remembered such a stunning person. Where are you from, if you don't mind my asking?"

Maybe it's the change in environment or the strange feelings on her tongue or the compelling look Maya is giving her, but Claudine is momentarily distracted. Where she normally wouldn't have given any response other than a grunt, she actually replies.

"France."

Maya's eyes widen.

"Oh, my. That's wonderful. I've always wanted to visit. If I may say, you speak Japanese beautifully."

This time Claudine manages to refrain from scoffing, from telling her that _of course_ she speaks the language perfectly, that she speaks _every_ language perfectly, because when you've lived for dozens of centuries, those kinds of things sort of just rub off on you whether you want them to or not.

But Claudine just says nothing and takes a sip of her tea. It's also tasteless, but the liquid feeling dribbling down her throat puts her at ease a bit; it's closer to the sensation of blood.

Another beat of silence passes between them, and Claudine is at no liberty to speak first. So naturally, Maya does.

"Saijou-san. You'd said earlier you were searching for someone. Who are they, or what do they look like? I'll do my best to help."

Claudine feels a shudder travel up her spine. She looks up from her tasteless food and stares at the girl across from her.

"I can't tell you that…"

Maya sits back, pensive.

"It's a secret, then?"

Claudine looks back down.

"No… Rather… I've no idea what their name is now, or what they might look like… But I'm fairly certain they're here somewhere."

Maya thinks for a moment, her tone becoming a bit softer now.

"Some long-lost family member perhaps?"

Claudine bites her lip, bowing her head to hide the fangs. Elizabeth had certainly been the only real family she'd ever had. Claudine nods. Maya ponders over another sip of coffee.

"That may make things rather difficult," she notes. "But I'll do everything I can to assist you, Saijou-san."

Claudine doesn't want to talk about this right now, or ever, perhaps. She quickly throws the subject right back at her.

"Didn't you say you'd been out with friends? Do they know where you are yet?"

"Oh! Perhaps I should message them."

And in spite of herself, Claudine nearly feels the corners of her lips curve up. This girl acts so confident and wise, but she can clearly have her mishap moments as well.

Maya pulls out a modern cell phone and types a quick message, then looks up at her.

"Do you have a cell phone, Saijou-san? I'd want to keep in contact with you in case I find anything."

Claudine shakes her head. Maya purses her lips in thought.

"Then can you tell me your address? Or at least what district you live in? An email, perhaps?"

But Claudine just shakes her head again.

"I have no such things."

Maya is quiet for a long moment. Claudine leaves her food and drink unfinished, suddenly no longer feeling all that compelled to keep up the act.

Maya seems to forget about her food as well. She leans forward, reaching her hand out across the table to Claudine, waiting for her to look up again.

"You... have nowhere to go?"

Claudine is finding it difficult to look her in the eyes.

"I wouldn't say nowhere," she mumbles. "I'd say anywhere."

Maya chuckles thinly.

"Even so, 'anywhere' can mean a lot of things." She lowers her voice just a little. "Why don't you stay with me for the night?"

Claudine's entire body stiffens, and her heart flutters in the primal way it sometimes does when she enters a girl's bedroom at night. Even if she's trained her mind and heart not to enjoy biting them, her body still seeks to maintain itself and can often get addicted to the idea of blood.

She grips the ends of her skirt tightly until her nails dig in, trying to keep herself calm.

"That… probably isn't a good idea."

"And why not?" Maya protests. "If you've got nowhere to stay, and not even any money to pay for tea with, then you'll be spending the night on a park bench."

Claudine refrains from telling her she's lived that very scenario no fewer than a million times. Now that this girl has _seen_ her and expects her to be human, Claudine's usual antics won't suffice for answers in Maya's mind.

In her mind, Claudine is a girl with no money and nowhere to spend the night, not a vampire who can cloak her presence and do quite literally whatever she pleases.

Claudine fidgets, exhaling slowly.

"Please," she mumbles. "This is for your own good. Trust me."

But Maya gives her the most skeptical look Claudine's ever seen.

"For _my_ own good?" she parrots. "Forgive me, Saijou-san, but please allow me decide what is or isn't for my own good. What _isn't_ good for me is the thought of such a pretty girl alone in a country she's clearly only just arrived in when she has no money or relatives. I'll not sleep tonight if I have to live with knowing you've got nowhere to stay."

Claudine curls her lip back into a soft snarl.

"You'll not sleep tonight if you invite me to your bed," she corrects.

Maya falls silent, clearly smart enough to recognize the threat, though perhaps not in the exact way Claudine means it. Maya looks her over again, and this time Claudine maintains her glare, willing her to back down.

But Tendo Maya glares right back, unfaltering in the face of her challenge. At last, she stands and picks up her bags.

"I'll take my chances," she decides.

And Claudine feels a smile spread on her lips.

It's part wicked - the part that longs to drink, to discover if this girl is truly Elizabeth.

And it's part amused - a part of herself she hadn't really known she possessed until meeting her, a part that rather… likes her, somehow.

As Maya begins to move away from the table, Claudine is inclined to follow her. That slight tugging in her chest pulls her along, and the ache behind her fangs guides her vision to the side of Maya's neck, where white skin is occasionally visible past the sway of her hair.

Claudine maintains her distance as she follows Maya out of the cafe. She curls her nails into her skirt again, trying to suppress the excited, more animalistic side of herself. She hadn't felt this kind of fervor when drinking from the waitress the other night, or any of the girls before that.

It's dangerous, and she knows it. Dangerous for Maya.

Claudine should disappear right now when her back is turned. She should vanish into the evening and never appear in front of her again, even if it means she'll never truly have her answers.

But that thread in her soul pulls her forward, drawing her ever closer to the soul that calls out for hers.

She wants to feed. She wants to _taste_ sweet blood again.

But is the risk of hurting who may very well be her beloved Elizabeth worth that long-since dormant instinct?

Not to her.

Claudine stops walking, bringing her hands up to her head to grip it, heart throbbing as she fights the internal war with herself. She steps away, but then steps right back up again.

_No-_ _Just run. Run now-_

But then, a kind hand appears in front of her eyes. Palm upturned, veins offered right to her, Maya smiles sweetly.

Claudine can't stop herself from accepting that hand, and she doesn't know which part of her had done it - the part that wants to use her, or the part that wants to love her.

But either way, she accepts that hand and follows.

Tendo Maya has sealed her fate now, whatever it may be.

* * *

**A/N: I struggled a bit with trying to convey Claudine's dilemma; her instincts versus her wishes, her mind versus her heart. Part of her wants to confirm if Maya is Elizabeth or not, and the other half is almost scared to find out, which will be explained a bit later. Either way, I hope you can understand her conflict.**

**Please review!**


	3. Internal War

**I thought this story might get a bit more attention, but oh well! I'm very grateful for the few people reading and the fewer who are reviewing! You're in for a fun one, that's for sure.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight**

* * *

Chapter 2. Internal War

Maya leads Claudine back through town to a somewhat quieter section, away from the business district and towards somewhere a bit more scenic.

Claudine hasn't yanked her hand free of hers yet, nor has she conjured up some protest to have Maya let her go. The ache in her teeth and the ache in her heart are both guiding her, but she isn't sure which one she's following.

They don't speak much, just general little questions on Maya's part, and tactful lies on Claudine's, but eventually a large school building is in sight.

Claudine can't remember the last time she'd entered an educational facility; it'd probably been back when she herself had been human, when the school buildings had only been as large as a house. This place was ten times the size, or more. It resembled a hotel more than a school, like the massive fancy resorts she'd seen near the oceans in her travels.

As Maya leads her to the front steps, she turns back to give Claudine a bit of a tug on her wrist to encourage her forward.

"This is Seishou Academy," she announces. "Our school curriculum deals largely with theater and the performing arts."

Claudine tilts her head, interest slightly piqued.

"You're an actress?"

Maya flips her hair over her shoulder with her free hand.

"Indeed. Currently the top of my class. But I strive to learn even more, to become the very best I can."

Claudine has to hold back a scoff. She can't tell this girl _she'd_ been around when Shakespeare had been writing his plays. Though she does have to wonder what kinds of performances had been put together in the many years since. Claudine hasn't exactly been paying attention to such things, after all.

She grows quiet for a second and her eyes drift downward. Maya gives a little squeeze to her hand.

"Saijou-san? Is something the matter…?"

Claudine pulls herself from her thoughts before she can drown too deeply.

"Nothing. It's just that…" She looks away. "The person I'm searching for… we'd used to attend the theater together, a long time ago…"

Maya's grip on her loosens just a little, and Claudine finds herself wishing she'd tighten it again. A moment passes until Maya speaks to her once more.

"Did you enjoy the theater?" she asks, smiling gently.

Claudine nearly smiles back.

"I did. Mainly because of her."

Maya nods. "I've always enjoyed it myself. From a young age, I'd constantly been told I was a skilled actress. I'm not exactly sure what sparked it, but I've been infatuated with theater ever since I can remember."

Claudine says nothing. She simply allows Maya to lead her one step at a time into the building.

Once inside, Claudine takes in the sights of the various paintings and documents framed on the walls, as well as a trophy case full of many school awards. Maya leads her down a hallway, giving a brief tour as she goes.

"The classrooms and dance studios are that way, and the dorms are this way."

There aren't many people around, but those who are are all female, and Claudine is grateful for that. When they do get within earshot or eyesight of them, though, Maya hustles Claudine along more quickly. Claudine understands.

"Oh?" she says with a bit of a challenge. "You're hiding me, are you? You _did_ say you were a top student, yes? So you can't be seen smuggling someone in to have her spend the night."

Maya glances sideways at her.

"Being it's the weekend, we're allowed to have visitors," she explains, then lowers her voice. "But since you aren't exactly going to be leaving at the designated hour, the fewer people who see you, the better."

They're just rounding a corner as Maya finishes her train of thought, and that's when a group of nearly ten girls stumbles into them.

"Oh!"

"Sorry!"

"Tendo-san!"

Claudine skitters back, but still being connected by Maya's hand, she ends up more or less taking shelter behind her.

The girls in front of her range in sizes and features, but all of them appear to be amiable.

"There you are!" the one with glasses says. Claudine can smell that her blood is very healthy, which tells her she's very strict about following rules. "You disappear on us in the middle of town and then just give us a text saying 'sorry, I found someone'? What were we supposed to think about that?"

"Yes," says another. Her blood smells sickeningly sweet, which implies she's either homeless and living off junk food, or a spoiled brat who can't care for herself. "_I'd_ thought you'd run off with some man. Imagine, the prestigious Tendo Maya having a fling under the school's nose!"

"Shut it, Kaoruko!" snaps another, the one with the shortest hair. Her blood smells sturdy and thick. "Don't go around sayin' crap like that or you're gonna spread rumors."

"And besides!" says yet another, one with a hair pin shaped like a crown. Her blood smells rather normal, but seems to be moving quickly, indicating she's the hyper one of the bunch. "Tendo-san clearly has a _girl_ with her!"

The others peer around Maya to try getting a glimpse of Claudine, and she stiffens. Her cloak really isn't working, not just with Maya, but with any of these girls now.

Tendo Maya must have broken the spell somehow. Claudine's never had so many people looking at her at once, not since her wedding day with Elizabeth so long ago…

A soft nudge from Maya brings Claudine back to realty. Maya leans close and whispers in her ear.

"Just play along." She then raises her voice to the other seven girls. "Ladies, this is my good friend Saijou Claudine. She's the one I mentioned I'd found in my message. You see, Saijou-san and I have known each other for a very long time."

As the other girls nod and begin asking questions, Claudine feels a poignant twang pluck at her heartstrings. She knows Maya is simply making up a story to excuse her presence. But the fact that she'd chosen _this_ lie, the proclamation that she'd known her for a long time…

Suddenly, the scent of everyone else's blood fades again, and only the sweet, warm scent of Maya's remains.

Maya handles all of their questions with curt answers that can be left mostly to interpretation. Claudine peeks out from behind her and gives little nods to each girl as they introduce themselves, names she's sure she'll never care all that much to remember. Maya makes quick work of fending them off with a smile.

The tallest blonde girl with rich-smelling blood laughs.

"We'll let you two go then," she says. "Next time, please give us a more detailed text, Tendo-san."

"Right. My apologies, Daiba-san."

The tall girl reaches out and pats Maya's shoulder in a friendly gesture. But Claudine can't help feeling the defensive little curl in her lips and in her nails. She tugs Maya a pace back, away from the other girl's touch, but the blonde doesn't seem offended.

"Have fun, you two!" the tall girl says. With this, the seven others turn and walk away.

Claudine slowly loosens the tighter grip she'd subconsciously taken on Maya's hand. She exhales when they're finally alone again.

"So much for people not seeing me…"

Maya turns to her with an amused smile.

"They're all friends. They won't say anything, even if they figure out our little secret." She winks, and it makes Claudine's heart do that strange fluttering thing again. Claudine snorts and looks away.

"Well, come on then, before someone _else_ spots us."

"Right."

With a firm hold on Claudine's hand once again, Maya leads her away toward the dorms. Claudine seethes quietly behind her, still not liking the emotion she'd felt when that taller girl had touched Maya. It hadn't even been anything suggestive or harmful.

Claudine has only just met Maya, and she isn't even completely sure about who she might or might not be. So why experience this unprecedented feeling of possession for her? Of wanting to protect her and keep her for herself?

She clears her head just as Maya brings her to a door. She looks around, then fishes into her pocket for a key to let them in. She ushers Claudine inside, not wanting anyone to see a guest enter during the evening, and not come out till morning.

Claudine had been in many girls' rooms over the decades to feed, and she'd never paid them much mind. But now that she sees Maya's, Claudine comes to the conclusion that she's definitely one of the neatest people Claudine has ever been around.

It's a very simple room, very clean, with only the essential pieces of furniture and not much else. There's a bookshelf as well, and every tome sitting there is arranged very keenly, by not just size or alphabet or color, but by all three at once.

This tells Claudine that Maya must be a _very_ particular person, or a very lonely one. Perhaps both, but considering she'd been out with seven friends shopping today, perhaps it's more of the former.

As Maya closes the door behind them and locks it, she puts down the bags of clothes and turns to her guest.

"Sorry. I hadn't gotten to clean up yet this weekend. I didn't know I'd be having company."

Claudine says nothing while her eyes travel around the room. Most of the books and notes and magazines are about theater, acting, and signing. It's clear she's extremely studious in that department.

But Claudine's mind doesn't linger on those thoughts for long.

She can feel her heart beginning to thump again at the idea of being in an enclosed space with her. They aren't outside or in a cafe with others around any longer. Whenever Claudine is alone with a girl in her room, there's only one result that ever comes from it.

Her fangs begin to throb again as she tries to remind herself she'd only just drank a few nights ago. She brings her hand to her mouth and clamps her fangs on top of her bottom teeth to silence them. She closes her eyes for a split second, trying to get ahold of herself. But when she opens them again-

"Saijou-san?" Maya has bent forward a little to peer up at her face curiously. "Is something the matter?"

Claudine whirls away from her and crosses her arms.

"Nothing," she snaps.

Maya gives a silence as if she doesn't believe her, but she doesn't continue to pry.

"I'll take your dress as well as the things we bought today down to the laundry room. Please make yourself at home."

Claudine glances back at her and just nods.

So Maya gathers the bags again before heading out the door with a small wave that Claudine doesn't reflect.

Once she's alone in the room, her pulse begins to calm down a little. She scours the place again, searching for any signs of confirmation that this girl could truly be Elizabeth. Other than her love of theater, and that almost painful thread tugging at Claudine's heart in Maya's absence, there are few similarities.

Tendo Maya is kind but haughty. She radiates a sort of smug confidence that irks Claudine, and yet at the same time she can't keep away.

Elizabeth had never annoyed Claudine - not once. She'd always been soft and quiet and gentle. But perhaps she could've been different, if not for the constant sickness that had so relentlessly assaulted her.

Tendo Maya is headstrong, already having challenged Claudine with her words several times since their encounter. She doesn't comply when faced with adversity, but even when she does refute, she does so with manners and wit.

Claudine has to admit she admires that about her. And the fact that she would take in a stranger she'd only just met wandering around town. Did she do this with every lost girl she encountered? Bring her in and let her stay the night?

Surely, even if she did, Claudine is the first to not be human.

Claudine wanders about the room for several minutes, lost in thought. When the doorknob turns behind her, she jumps and nearly hisses until she sees it's only Maya.

"I'm back," she says. "The clothes are drying. It seems I lost track of time and it's already time for supper. Guests aren't allowed to join us for meals except on special occasions, so I'm sorry to say you'll have to stay here. But I can bring you back anything you'd like."

Claudine's stomach is reminded of its hollow feeling, though she knows the kind of sustenance Maya is referring to is not the kind Claudine's body is seeking. She shakes her head slowly in response.

"That's all right. I don't need anything." _Only you_.

Maya dips her head.

"Very well. I'll be as quick as I can. You're free to use the bathroom and shower if you need to."

With this, she takes her leave once again.

Claudine's hunger is temporarily forgotten at the prospect of a bath. She can't recall the last time she'd taken one; she usually only did when she'd sneak into empty hotel rooms for a night, and it's been at least a week since she'd last done that.

Luckily, in being alive for so long, her body has become naturally odor-repellent on its own for longer periods of time than humans, and her hair resists grease and grim much better, too.

But this is the first time she's ever been offered - invited - to use a bath. And invitation has always been vital to her existence as a vampire.

So she makes her way to the adjoining bathroom, observing how clean and neat everything here is as well. She prepares herself a clean towel from the cabinet and removes the clothes Maya had bought for her, folding them and placing them on the sink.

She still remembers when she'd used to bathe with Elizabeth, the feeling of her wife's loving arms wrapped around her from behind in the tub, the sensation of the gentle fingers washing her hair for her…

Claudine's heart aches particularly roughly at the memories, so she decides on a shower instead of a bath. Judging by Maya's words, she would be back soon anyway, so Claudine doesn't have the time to sit and soak.

She turns on the shower until it's as hot as it can go - one of the setbacks of drinking blood and nothing else is that her body is often cold from poor circulation, so heated baths are a must.

She uses a bit of shampoo and soap, rinsing herself in silence as she tries to keep her thoughts away from Elizabeth. But then they just go to Maya, to the alluring scent of her blood-

Claudine clamps her teeth shut again and kills the water before stepping out and wrapping herself in the towel.

Her internal war surges to life once again. She needs to know if this girl is Elizabeth, and the only way to be sure is to taste her blood. But drinking from her may very well startle her and frighten her away for good, and it may even hurt her.

If Claudine truly does find Elizabeth's soul, then what will come of her arduous searching if she's rejected?

She can't even stomach the thought.

For now, she knows she mustn't bite Tendo Maya. No matter what.

She quickly gets re-dressed in the new clothes she'd been bought and twists the towel around her hair to dry it before dropping it into the corner and stepping back out into the bedroom. She's expecting to see the same empty room where she'll kill a bit more time reading one of Maya's books.

But instead she discovers her host has already returned, sitting on her bed in a long, dark blue robe with her hair all down and damp. She's running a towel through it with a book on her lap and looks up with a smile.

"Ah, Saijou-san. Did you enjoy your shower? I used the communal bathrooms myself. And I brought back a bit of food in case you change your mind." She nods to a desk across the room where a little container of fruit salad and a cup of pudding sit.

Claudine stands still and says nothing. If this girl had looked inviting before, she's even more so now with her skin glistening wet and her entire neck and collar exposed by the low-hanging robe. Claudine swallows and looks away, inhaling slowly.

"Thank you… for letting me use it."

"It's my pleasure." Maya closes the book on her lap and gets up from her bed, hanging her towel on the bed post as she does so. She heads to a little closet and pulls out a few blankets and a pillow.

Claudine assumes that, as the guest, she'll be sleeping on the floor with those. But to her astonishment, Maya sits down on the floor instead.

"I'll sleep here. Please take the bed, Saijou-san. I just cleaned the sheets yesterday, so it should be perfectly comfortable for you."

And in spite of the fact that she was clearly invited to do so, Claudine protests.

"I couldn't," she mumbles. "That's your bed."

"Yes," Maya nods. "But I'm offering it to you. As the owner, it is my right to lend it to anyone I see fit, is it not?"

Claudine grimaces; there's that smugness she finds so irksome again. But it also feels like a challenge - a challenge she's more than willing to accept.

"Oh, but first-" Maya continues. "Please allow me to dry your hair for you. If you sleep with it wet, you'll catch a cold." Maya walks back to her and offers her hand, and Claudine accepts without even thinking. That irks her too, that her body just naturally reaches out for Maya before her mind can process it.

Maya leads her back into the bathroom, grabbing her own towel from the bed post along the way and dropping it into the pile of dirty items. She has Claudine sit on a cushioned stool by the sink in front of the mirror. Maya pulls out a dryer from one of the drawers and plugs it in.

As she gets things ready, Claudine can feel her heart pounding once more, and she has to break the silence.

"What about you?" she mutters.

"Pardon? Oh, I dried my hair in the communal bathrooms already. No need to worry about me."

_Oh, there's plenty need to worry… _Claudine bites her tongue - literally - to keep from commenting. She doesn't know how she's going to survive the night without sneaking over to bite this girl. It's going to take all of her self-control and then some.

When she's ready, Maya turns on the hair dryer and begins running the hot air over Claudine's bouncing wet locks. Claudine's immediate reaction is to shudder, the contrast of warm air against her damp hair and clothes proving to be a bit of a shock. She'd used hotel tools before on her own, but never had she had anyone else tend to her. Not since…

Her mind wanders for a second until she feels something… familiar.

Soft, gentle fingers combing through her hair, gingerly uncurling any tangles or knots. Maya's nails stroke with care, as if pulling out the cold droplets of water and replacing them with warmth. Her motions are identical to Elizabeth's. Claudine can make no mistake about it. Her heart throbs with a deep-rooted nostalgia so poignant it brings tears to her eyes.

And yet, her fangs still ache for something to sink into. Maya's proximity is so near right now; how easy it would be for Claudine to turn and bite-

She hunches forward, once again bringing her hand to her mouth to stop herself. At the same time, the tears sting at the corners of her eyes, but don't fall.

Startled, Maya immediately turns off the hair dryer and puts it aside.

"Saijou-san-?" She puts her hands on Claudine's shoulders to keep her from swaying. "Are you all right? I didn't burn you, did I?"

Her warm hands on Claudine's back are killing her. She only envisions Elizabeth touching her, Elizabeth's voice calling for her, using her first name like a prayer, a blessing. Claudine catches her breath heavily and shakes her head, glancing meekly back over her shoulder at Maya.

"No… you didn't hurt me," she muffles past her palm. "I just…" She gives Maya a tortured look before turning away.

She shouldn't be here after all. Instinctually, all she wants is to feed, but emotionally Claudine doesn't want to hurt her. The turmoil in her chest becomes a tumult, raging like a silent storm.

Behind her, Maya is at a loss.

"...Perhaps it would be best for you to lie down," she suggests. "I'm sure you're very tired in searching for the person you want to find."

The truth in her words hits Claudine in the softest corner of her heart. She bites back another sob, and simply nods.

So Maya helps her up, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her back into the bedroom. She leaves the bathroom light on and turns off all the rest, bringing Claudine to the bed. Maya pulls the blankets down and lets her slip underneath.

Claudine has to admit it's the softest mattress she's ever lain on.

But before Maya can slip off and go to the floor, and before Claudine can think over her words, she speaks.

"Stay with me-" she blurts. "Please…"

_No-!_ Claudine snarls at herself. _Don't-_

If Maya stays with her, sleeps beside her, Claudine knows she won't be able to hold herself back. The closer they are, the more danger Maya is in.

_Don't- _Claudine begs._ Please stay away- _

But her eyes must say something different, because Maya's gaze turns soft and compassionate. She nods and pulls her legs back up onto the bed.

"I would like to stay," she murmurs. "I very much want to make sure you're all right, Saijou-san."

_No! _Claudine digs all of her nails into the sheets and flips herself over to face away from Maya. She bites down on the pillow, feeling her fangs puncturing the fabric. She doesn't want to be apart from Maya. But is it because she feels a tenderness for her, or because she just wants to satiate herself?

It's both, but she doesn't know which wins out.

She hates this. She detests it - loathes it.

She hates herself. She's only tricking Maya, using her kindness against her to get what her fangs want.

_No! I… I want to be close to her, too…_

Her heart throbs again - _hard_ \- and the blood in her veins flashes with heat.

Hungry. Predatory.

_No-!_

There's a gentle hand on her back again. She can feel Maya's concern for her even without looking.

"Rest," Maya says softly. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to wake me, Saijou-san." There's a shifting of weight behind her as Maya turns herself onto her back.

And then, another word Claudine hasn't heard in eons.

"Goodnight."

She nearly loses herself this time. The tears clinging to her eyes seep into the pillow before they can fall, and she stifles her screams behind her teeth before they can make sounds. She swallows again and again, imagining it's blood, hoping she can fool her body into thinking that way. Her skin is cold but her veins are hot, her fangs seeking prey.

_No… I won't…_

She struggles with herself for a while, but time being something irrelevant to her immortal soul, she isn't sure for how long.

Long enough to hear Maya's breathing deepen behind her as she falls asleep.

Long enough for her to become an easy, defenseless target.

Prey.

Claudine can smell her blood, can feel its radiating warmth past the resonating throb of her own pulse.

Bite her. Stay away.

Feed. Leave.

The thoughts collide over and over in her mind, images of Elizabeth, fragments of her voice… all eventually fading into Maya's smile and her kind words.

She's replacing her.

_No… No-!_

That's the final straw for her.

Claudine flings herself up, tearing the pillow with her teeth as she throws herself over the still-sleeping girl. With her hands on either side of Maya's head, she bares her fangs all at once.

The sudden movement, of course, has Maya waking with a jolt and a gasp, her eyes open wide. Claudine hears her blood jump in her throat as she leans toward it.

She bites, but it's on air, still fighting with herself, still not knowing what it is she truly wants, still unsure of if she's following her fangs or her heart-

"Saijou-san?" Maya's voice is high and panicked. Her eyes are locked on Claudine's lips, and Claudine knows she'd seen what's behind them.

And for a split second, she watches the fear creep into Maya's eyes.

Fear. The one thing she'd never let Elizabeth feel. Now she is the source of it.

Claudine forces herself back to her senses, out of the control of her more primal desires.

She knows. Maya knows what she is. There's no turning back.

Claudine gasps, deep and harsh, fangs bared, and all the blood comes to a halt in her veins. Maya's petrified eyes seem to stab right through her chest.

And suddenly it's Claudine who's terrified. Ashamed. Regretful. She scrambles off of Maya, nails tearing at the sheets, eyes searching wildly for the nearest exit, the window-

"_Wait_-!" Maya's shout is followed by a tight grip on Claudine's wrist. "Please- don't go-!"

Claudine whirls around to glare at her through narrowed eyes.

"Let go of me!" she shrieks. "Let go! It's for your own good-!"

_"Claudine!" _

She stops.

Her name.

_Her name._

Claudine can hardly even remember the last time someone had called her by name like this.

Years ago. _Centuries_ ago.

Elizabeth had whispered her name on one of her dying breaths, and no one had uttered it since.

It freezes Claudine in her tracks, in her desperate effort to flee, to disappear from Maya's life and never return, even if it meant her life-long search would be all for nothing, even if it meant she'd have to spend the _rest_ of eternity alone, too.

She… doesn't want that. She doesn't want to be alone anymore.

Weakly, Claudine turns her head, catching glimpses past her frazzled silver hair of Maya's face. Her expression is taut and unwavering, and the fear has already left her eyes.

"If you would," she says. "Please let _me_ decide what's for my own good."

And Claudine has to laugh, something bitter and disbelieving and choked by a sob.

"You're ridiculous," she growls. "Don't... Don't you see what I _am?_" She bares her fangs purposefully, and they glint in a sliver of moonlight.

Yet Maya's grip on her hand never loosens.

"I admit, it was... rather surprising."

Claudine scoffs. "Are you_ serious?_ Do you… Do you have _any_ idea what this means? Do you have _any_ idea of what I was trying to... Of what I almost-"

"I suppose it makes sense now," Maya says calmly, as if she hadn't even heard a word of what Claudine was saying. "Now I see why you weren't hungry before. I suppose a cup of tea isn't your 'cup of tea,' so to speak."

Claudine's jaw hangs agape in disbelief so shocking it nearly borders outrage.

"You're unbelievable!" she hisses. "Or perhaps you're just daft? An imbecile?" She tries to wrench her hand free, but to no avail. She pulls with all her might, but can't break free. "Let go! You have no idea what this _means_, do you? Don't you understand what I am? I'm-"

"Saijou Claudine."

"…Eh?"

Slowly, sniffling, Claudine lifts her face once more. Maya's eyes are tranquil, and her lips are smiling.

"You are Saijou Claudine," she repeats. "And you're searching for someone very precious to you. I promised I would help you, and I intend to keep that promise, no matter the cost."

Incredulous, Claudine shakes her head. She must be hearing things. Either that, or this girl truly is touched in the head.

Perhaps that was part of the reason why she could see through Claudine's presence-suppressing spell. Perhaps she was too _stupid_ \- even by human standards - for her mind to be tricked by magic.

Claudine blinks, and her eyes burn. The rest of her body feels cold once more, the thrill of the hunt drained from her blood now in place of dread.

Only the wrist that Maya holds feels any kind of warmth.

Claudine lifts her gaze, still glowering, still threatening, still hoping to scare her away.

"You… do you have a death wish? I could kill you, you know."

Maya doesn't flinch.

"Anyone could kill anyone," she reasons. "But not you."

"Why you- infuriating woman!" she yowls. "What do _you_ know?"

"I know," Maya says firmly. "That someone who would fight so valiantly against their own instincts-" Her eyes shine softly, honestly. "-and shed tears, all while trying to flee for my sake, could never be a cause of fear to me." She reaches out, and Claudine nearly flinches.

But Maya makes contact with her cheek, brushing her fingers softly to catch the tears Claudine hadn't even realized had begun falling.

She hasn't cried in decades.

It's… liberating. She feels so weak, but so free…

Her lips part in quiet little sobs now, her body jolting from hiccups. Maya's hand rests on her cheek, her wrist mere inches from Claudine's fangs. But the urge to bite is gone now.

Claudine loses all her strength in trying to resist, in trying to break away. Now, she relents, shaking as she curls her nails into her palms.

"Wh-Why…?" she rasps. "Why… aren't you afraid of me…? Why would you…?"

Maya inches closer to her, until their knees brush. She wraps both arms around Claudine now, pulling her in, little by little.

"Because…" she murmurs. "It's clear you care a great deal for me, enough to consider my feelings in all of this, even though you've only just met me. I've heard of vampires-"

When she says the word so blatantly, Claudine stiffens. But Maya strokes her hands down her back and through her hair with caressing fingers, not seeming to mind at all what she is holding in her arms.

"-But I've never heard of a vampire that was so terrified of hurting her prey that she would cry and try to run at the slightest prospect of causing pain or fear."

Claudine bites her lip, tasting the tiniest bit of flavorless blood from her own skin.

"Then you should know…" she hisses. "You should know I'm a _monster_…"

"You don't look like a monster to me," Maya says. "To me, you look like Saijou Claudine."

Claudine whimpers another laugh through her teeth.

"You're a fool…"

"Perhaps," she hums. "But that is my choice, is it not?"

Claudine doesn't know what more to say.

She'd tried. She'd _tried_ her very best to scare her off with both actions and words, and none of it had worked. Tendo Maya must truly be a fool - an unbelievable, infuriating fool.

Claudine breaks down weeping into her shoulder, overcome with more emotions all at once than she'd felt in the past thousand years combined.

And Maya holds her close - closer than she has any right or reason to. Claudine hears the vibrations of her voice once more, her tone soft and calm.

"Perhaps I am a fool. Perhaps I am sealing my fate, as you say. Perhaps I have no idea what I'm in for…" She locks her arms across Claudine's back and rests her chin on her shoulder. "But truth be told… from the moment I laid eyes on you, Saijou-san… I'd felt as though I knew you. Somewhere, somehow. I feel as though I've met you somewhere before, as though I've gazed into your eyes and heard your voice in some distant dream, time and again. I feel as though… I want you to be by my side… And I'm not quite sure why, but I'm not about to question it."

Claudine's heart thumps harder, faster, until she realizes it isn't just hers. Maya's heart beats in time with hers, with the same rhythm, the same beat, the same pattern. Could she truly be…?

"Claudine," Maya whispers. "If I may refer to you as such… Please stay with me a while longer as you search for who you are seeking. Please allow me to assist you. I care not for your humanity or lack thereof. I simply feel that I must - no - that I _wish_ to help you. So… May I…?"

Claudine uncurls her fists and reaches out to cling onto Maya instead. She digs her nails into the fabrics of her robe, clutching with a fervor her body seems to remember - refusing to let go. Claudine inhales meekly.

"Very well…" she whispers. "I will stay, until I've found what I'm looking for. Though I can't say how long that may take me. It may extend for longer than your lifetime."

Maya nuzzles her head together with hers.

"If you're offering to stay with me until the day I die, it sounds rather like a proposal."

It was meant as a joke, clearly. But her implications of marriage or any such bond as deep as that make Claudine's heart ache terribly.

She says nothing more as she buries her face into Maya's shoulder and weeps. Her fangs stay where they should, never craning toward her neck. The craving that had driven her to this point - that had been the root of all this - is now gone.

Claudine knows it will be back, and she doesn't know what she'll do when it does return.

But for now, she can only cry and cling to the warmth of this peculiar girl who had reminded Claudine of what her own name sounded like.

* * *

**A/N: Could Maya's reason for loving theater now be because she'd gone to watch so many plays with Claudine in a previous life...? Has she really known her before? **

**Either way, now Claudine's secret has been revealed... and accepted...? But for how long will she be able to stop herself from biting? Perhaps it would be best if she were to simply leave Maya for good...**

**This marks our halfway point! 2 chapters to go!**

**Please review!**


	4. Giving In

**Unfortunately this chapter is a bit shorter, but still full of suspenseful affection. Claudine is "Giving in" but is it to her temptation to feed, or to her acceptance to sleep forever...?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight**

* * *

Chapter 3. Giving In

It's absolutely unheard of, what Claudine and Maya are allowing themselves to do.

On Claudine's part, she's not only trespassing and living in secrecy as a stowaway in Maya's dorm room, but she's also intruding on human society as an immortal vampire, which is undoubtedly a taboo in more than just a few ways.

And on Maya's part, she is allowing such a vampire to live in secrecy in her room, share her laundry and her bed, all the while risking her own safety to remain so close to her.

Her friends have begun to wonder why she's been staying in her room longer than usual, even cutting into some of her practice time here and there. When she does go to town, she always seems to 'meet up' with Saijou Claudine every single time, and they're seen together quite often; often enough to start the spread of giggled rumors.

Some girls say they're together so often they should just start living together.

Claudine had told Maya all about Elizabeth when she'd been in tears that first night. She'd told her almost everything; she'd only left out the notion that the beat in her heart now seemed to lead her soul to Maya's.

She says she's still searching, still unsure, still unwilling to bite her and find out, even when Maya had offered to let her.

"Just so you can be certain," she'd said.

But Claudine had refused. And she still isn't sure why.

Perhaps it's because she doesn't know what she'll do either way. If Maya _is_ the vessel for Elizabeth's soul, then what? Maya is in school. She's in a different era. She's a different person with a different past, and no doubt a different future. And what's worse, she's human.

If she is Claudine's answer, would it mean Claudine would have to live her immortal life and watch her mortal lover wilt away again?

And if Maya _isn't_ her answer, would that mean Claudine would have to continue on her never-ending journey?

Either way, her answer brings nothing but pain.

But she's come this far, after all this time, so Claudine can't just leave her now. She has all the time in the world, so why not use a bit of it here to think things over?

And so Claudine and Maya have come up with an odd routine of sorts since that first night when they'd set their terms.

When they wake in the mornings, Maya brushes Claudine's hair for her and gives her a fresh pair of clothes to change into. They take turns in the bathroom, and then Maya heads off to breakfast and then her daily classes and lessons.

During the daytime when Maya is at school, Claudine sneaks out of Seishou in search of more answers. She travels as far as she can by any means necessary, focusing on that tugging motion in her chest.

Her spell to conceal her presence seems to work perfectly fine when Maya isn't with her. No one ever notices her, which allows Claudine to do as she pleases, when she pleases. She wanders, trying to discern the feelings in her heart, suspecting she might suddenly feel that intangible thread pulling her elsewhere.

But at the end of each day, it always leads her right back to Maya.

Maya always asks her if she'd found any new answers in her journey that day, but Claudine's response is always a shake of her head.

They spend the evenings discussing literature and theater. Maya practices her roles and her songs, performing for her while Claudine watches quietly. She tells of her own experiences in theaters across the world, what things have changed over time and what things had remained relatively the same.

They talk all into the night, reading scripts and stories, acting out parts together, taking each other's hands and dancing around the room to songs Claudine sings from memory, or Maya sings from paper.

When they tire themselves out enough to lie down for bed, Maya asks her if she'd drank.

And Claudine lies. Every night, she tells Maya she'd found a girl napping on the subway or dozing off in a cafe to drink from.

But in reality, Claudine hasn't drank a drop of blood since that brown-haired waitress just before she'd landed in Japan. She doesn't feel the need for it, though the urge is certainly still there, pulsing just beneath her skin.

The hunger returns a bit more day by day and night by night, but Claudine forces it away.

She can't drink from anyone else. She doesn't want to. She doesn't want to be with any other tasteless, random girl or person anymore.

She only wants Maya. Even though she refuses to drink from her, too.

So every night for almost a week, she lies in bed beside the girl who may or may not be her soulmate, not knowing.

Every night she rests against Maya, wrapped in her arms and her warmth.

And every night she fights the urge, fights herself.

She feels it's too late now, that whether she bites her or not - whether she discovers if Maya is Elizabeth or not - they're too entangled with one another now.

They can't keep living in secrecy like this forever - well, perhaps Claudine can.

But Maya has a limited life ahead of her. In the end, it will be best for Claudine to leave her and let her forget, to let herself be a fleeting memory in Maya's human heart.

And to allow Maya to remain as the closest thing Claudine herself has ever gotten to fulfillment - to peace.

Maybe the short-lived memories of each other can suffice for a small fragment of their hearts.

And so Claudine knows she can't keep her word of staying with Maya for the human girl's entire life. She knows she must leave her - for both their sakes. It's simply a matter of when.

And as Claudine lies nestled in Maya's arms, with her fangs just subconscious inches from breaking the surface of her skin all throughout the night, she knows the sooner she goes, the better.

* * *

Two weeks. She's only been living with Maya for two weeks here in this room, but Claudine has already decided that would be the extent of it.

She'd planned to leave her forever on the fifteenth night, without a word, and without warning. She'll simply slip away and disappear.

Where she'll go, she hasn't the slightest inkling yet, but it will have to be somewhere so far that the tugging of her heartstrings dulls enough that she can no longer feel it.

She'll go, and she'll never look back.

Or so she'd planned.

But as the days had passed, and she'd feigned off her pangs of hunger to Maya during every evening dance, Claudine comes to a realization.

She'd always found someone to drink from all throughout the centuries. Because she'd needed to keep going, to find her answers.

But now that she's found it - or come as close as she can to finding it… What if she doesn't _truly_ want to know?

It's simple, really. She'll just not drink - from anyone, for any reason - until her body gives out for good. It's the only way to kill her, as she is now. No sickness or plague or blade through the chest could do the trick, but a lack of blood would stop her ancient heart for good.

So why not just… let it end?

She'd embarked on her impossible journey, spent lifetimes alone, searching.

And she'd come this far. She'd found Tendo Maya, and even if she isn't Claudine's true answer, she's close enough.

Claudine will be glad to take her last breath here with her, after having done all she could've done.

Her body has become weaker and weaker in recent days, and every time Maya asks her if she's drank, if she's all right, Claudine replies with a thin smile and even thinner assurances.

But inside she can feel her body shutting down, bit by bit.

She lets her affections for Maya stifle the need to drink from her, and succeeds night after night in not giving in to temptation.

She isn't sure how much longer she'll last.

But she doesn't regret not finding a surefire answer about her late wife's soul as she'd thought she might.

Instead, Claudine's only regrets now are thinking about how she'll never get to hug or dance or sing with Tendo Maya again after she's gone.

* * *

Claudine wakes on the fifteenth morning, groggy and feeble. Maya is still asleep, her arms draped loosely across her makeshift roommate's stomach.

Claudine pants with effort as she bites her lip, keeping her fangs in check. They're desperate to feed, but the strength required for a frenzied, instinctual urge had been lost days ago. Now, all that lingers is a weak, needy attempt to snap at the air above Maya's collar, but Claudine's will overcomes her nature.

She inches close to Maya, resting her cheek against her shoulder, listening to her heartbeat. And unlike that first night, their pulses no longer match.

Where Maya's is strong and healthy, Claudine's has become slow and heavy. It's beat for so long. She thinks it deserves a much-needed rest.

"Just… a few more days…"

She sighs, but she doesn't dread her oncoming death. She _is_ choosing it, after all, which is a luxury most souls are so unfairly denied. She just hates the feeling that she'll be leaving Maya behind, as Elizabeth had left her. And where Elizabeth had had no choice, Claudine absolutely does, and she's choosing to leave Maya anyway.

_But what of it? Elizabeth was my wife. This girl is nothing of the sort. Why should I regret leaving her? Why should I care for her feelings so much? Why should I let it stop me from choosing the ending I want?_

She feels that little flutter in her pulse yet again, the one she always feels upon seeing or thinking of Maya. But she refuses to put a feeling to it. Even if she knows exactly what feeling that is.

Because if Claudine were to admit that, even to herself, it would feel like a betrayal to Elizabeth.

So she can't. She _can't_ fall in love with Tendo Maya…

Her conscious fades, blacking out for a few seconds before resurfacing once again. She remains suspended in this numbness for a while, until she feels Maya stir beneath her. A tiny tired sound hums in the back of Maya's throat as she stretches, and her arms seem to remember where they are. She gives Claudine a tender squeeze just as she opens her eyes, already smiling and glad to see her.

"Good morning, Claudine."

That's another thing Claudine is going to miss; hearing Maya say her name. She shakes her head wearily and blinks up at her, finding her vision blurring.

"Good morning," she murmurs.

And Maya must hear it in her voice or see it in her eyes or feel it in her heart, but she must know something is wrong. Her smile disappears as she props herself up onto her elbows, supporting the back of Claudine's head as she does so.

"Claudine? You're not well."

Claudine huffs, trying to sound like the impatient person Maya had made her into over the past few weeks.

"I'm fine. Just tired."

Maya is quiet for a moment. She sits up, and Claudine puts all her effort into doing the same, staying face-to-face with her. Maya seems to study her with her eyes.

"Well then, it's a good thing today is Saturday. You can sleep in all you'd like. I'd be happy to stay with you." Maya reaches up to tuck a lock of hair behind Claudine's ear. Claudine leans into the touch and closes her eyes, breathing out slowly.

"I'd like that."

So they lie back down together, and Claudine wonders if it will be her last time. She nestles close to Maya, seeking her familiar warmth. Maya gives it, and takes nothing in return. She pets through Claudine's hair soothingly, humming a tune she'd taught her before.

Claudine is still and silent. She just wants to listen. If this could be her final lullaby, she'd be happy for it.

But it ends all too soon, interrupted by a voice.

"You didn't drink yesterday, did you?"

Claudine is sure she would've fallen asleep - perhaps forever - days ago, if not for how strongly Tendo Maya infuriated her. She grunts, long and low.

"Yes I did."

"Liar."

"Shut up."

"You surely must know by now that my offer still stands-"

"_No_." Claudine growls. "I don't want to. Not from you…"

Maya sighs. "I still don't understand. Why-ever not? I wouldn't mind at all if it should improve your health."

Her offer - her _invitation_ \- it sends Claudine's fangs aching once again, that familiar dull pounding in the top corners of her jaw. She curls her fingers into trembling fists on Maya's robe, exhaling slowly.

"I _can't_…"

A few beats of silence pass as Claudine fends off the urge in her teeth. She seals her lips shut and hides her face in Maya's hair. Maya hugs her again.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs against her temple. "I shouldn't keep offering if it only conflicts you further. I just don't want anything to happen to you if your needs aren't met."

Claudine chuckles wryly.

"I'll be fine. You needn't concern yourself, Tendo Maya."

"And yet, I am concerned. Are you cold?"

Claudine merely huffs, but Maya understands her perfectly. She pulls the blankets fully up over her to her shoulders and eases Claudine on top of her, allowing their bodies to press close together.

They rest, but Claudine doesn't fully lose consciousness. She won't let herself. Not yet. She still feels like… there's something she needs to do…

About an hour later, Maya eases them both up. She excuses herself to the bathroom, during which time Claudine slowly changes into fresh clothes. It just so happens to be the same pink blouse Maya had bought her upon their first meeting.

When Maya has finished getting ready, she invites Claudine to breakfast with her; being a weekend, she's allowed to have guests in the building.

But Claudine hasn't the strength nor the willpower to deal with Maya's friends anymore. Should her heart beat its last, she wouldn't want to risk the final person she ever sees being anyone other than Maya.

So Maya worriedly takes her leave alone, promising to be quick.

"And you'll still be here when I return?" she inquires from the doorway.

Claudine dips her head.

"I will."

And by some miracle, she truly is. Though her body is consumed by the sluggish weight of approaching death many centuries in the making, she manages to keep herself breathing for Maya's return.

When Maya asks her what ails her, Claudine repeats her fib of being particularly tired, and nothing more.

So Maya stays in with her all day, caring not for the beautiful weather outside, but only for the girl in her bed.

They read through several plays together, though Maya is sad to discover Claudine is no longer reading with flare as she'd come to try in previous days. In fact, she barely reads anything at all. Maya does most of it, and Claudine simply listens.

They spend the entire day as such, until Claudine begins to sway. Maya doesn't leave her for supper, but instead eats some of the extra food she'd brought back in case Claudine should ever develop a hankering for human food.

With Claudine unwell, Maya trusts her word that sleep will see her feeling better by tomorrow. So she changes back into her robes and prepares to sleep earlier than usual with her tonight.

Claudine hasn't moved from the bed all day, and even now as she sits up with a book in her lap, her eyes don't really read the words. Now that she's letting herself die, she almost wishes she could just take a knife to her own heart - at the very least it'd be much quicker. But she feels it is only right that she wither as her late wife had.

She gives up the book within minutes and puts it aside, her eyes ultimately traveling across the room to where Maya is hurriedly combing through her hair, eager to get back to Claudine's side.

"Are you certain," she's asking. "That a good night's rest is all you'll need, Claudine?"

And in spite of the pull of death dragging her down, and the emptiness of her hollow veins, and the guilt in her heart for lying so blatantly to Maya, Claudine smiles upon hearing her speak her name again.

"I've been alive longer than half your family's generations," she replies. "I think I know which treatments work for which ailments by now."

Maya combs one more time before putting the brush aside, then begins making her way back to the bed.

"I don't doubt your knowledge. I just-" But suddenly she cuts off with a short gasp. Claudine tenses, immediately alert for any signs of danger; she'll fight to her dying breath to protect Maya if need be.

Maya quickly turns off all the lights, then hurries to the bed.

"Get down!" She throws the blankets over Claudine to hide her, then quickly helps lie her down. Maya lies on her side, hugging Claudine close, putting herself between her and the door.

Claudine is dazed and panicked, clinging dizzily to Maya's back as she burrows into her collar.

"What's happening-?"

"Shh…" Maya hushes her gently. "Room inspection. If they find you, they'll kick you out on the spot."

Claudine lets out the breath she'd been holding.

"I'd like to see them try," she grumbles. "If that's all... then I'd simply… find my way back in…" She says as much, but in her current state, she doesn't think she'd be able to get up off the ground on her own, let alone infiltrate a dorm room.

Maya chuckles softly.

"While I'm glad to hear that, I'd personally rather not risk it. They'd never let you back in here again."

"Who says… I need their permission?" Claudine mumbles. "I already have yours."

"Indeed you do. My door will always be open for you, Claudine."

Claudine closes her eyes and breathes in Maya's scent - the scent of her hair and skin, as well as her blood. She moans softly, willing her fangs to behave themselves, or praying Maya will speak again to distract her.

But footsteps approach outside in the hallway, so Maya remains quiet. The door opens, and Claudine can sense someone peering in before closing it again. She feels Maya relax now, but she doesn't let Claudine go.

Claudine swallows thickly, shaking her head, trying not to let the sweet scent of her blood entice her any further.

Not when she's fought it off for this long.

Not when she's gotten this close.

She just wants to let go.

She just wants to go to where Elizabeth is…

"Claudine…?"

But it isn't Elizabeth's voice coaxing her from beyond the grave. It's Maya's voice, warm and worried and full of affection, begging her to stay.

Maya curls herself over Claudine, and Claudine feels her blood jolt again. She's so thirsty. Her body wants to keep on living, in spite of her heart's decision.

Her response to Maya is a feeble moan.

"Tendo… Maya…"

Maya shifts away just a little, just enough to look down into her eyes.

"Claudine-" Her voice is choked and her eyes are watering. "You're shaking…" She cups one hand at the back of Claudine's head and lets the other trace patterns down her back.

Claudine exhales a heated breath against her collar.

"Ma… Maya…" she rasps. "I… there is something… I must tell you…"

Maya sobs softly, and a tear drips from each of her eyes.

"Of course. Anything." She hugs Claudine close, dreading the reality in front of her:

Claudine is dying in her arms. There's no mistake about it.

Maya can't stop herself. She presses a small kiss to her forehead.

Claudine's heart clenches in her chest. To this day, the first and only person to ever kiss her had been Elizabeth.

She doesn't know how to describe the burning feeling that ignites in her soul.

It is the sense that she's betrayed Elizabeth with Maya.

It is joyous confirmation that she'd truly found the soul that matches hers.

It is confusion that she can't be sure of who Maya is exactly.

It is regret that she'll never get to know for sure what could have been.

It is all of this all at once, to the point where all she feels is a churning numbness.

Claudine begins to sob as she, too, presses a kiss to Maya's skin, right at the juncture of her shoulder. Her voice is a weary whisper, weighted with the centuries of her burden.

"Tendo Maya-"

The soft push of lips gives way to the harder press of fangs, sharp and hungry.

_"-I'm sorry." _

And the world turns black.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Claudine... her ancient, lonely heart has finally broken. Will - or _can_ \- Maya heal it? Or is she out of time...?**

**Please review!**


	5. Soulmates

**Thank you all for reading! Here is the final chapter for my Kuromaya Vampire AU!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.**

* * *

Chapter 4. Soulmates

Truth be told, Maya hadn't really understood herself why she'd felt the need to wander away from her group of friends while shopping last weekend. Something had just been urging her elsewhere, as if drawing her, like a magnet. She'd never felt anything like it before in her life. She couldn't explain it.

But as she'd followed that strange pull all around town, down the sidewalks, up the streets, and around that corner, it had led her directly to the striking young woman in the old-fashioned dress.

Now Maya had acted in dozens of plays about destiny and fated meetings, but never before had she _actually_ felt she'd been a _part_ of one until that moment.

She was certain she'd never met or even encountered Saijou Claudine before in her life.

And yet, from the moment she'd laid eyes upon her, Maya had felt like she'd _known_ her. Somewhere, somehow, at some point in time, or perhaps for all of time.

Even though she knew nothing about her - had no memories of her - she knew she was _meant_ to meet her.

She'd been drawn to her for reasons beyond simply looks or personality, though as she'd gotten to know Claudine better over the days and nights, those factors had certainly made Maya enjoy their time together to the fullest as well.

Even when she'd discovered Claudine's secret - her fangs, her impossible joinery - Maya never wanted to let her go if she could help it. She just felt like she needed to be with her. It was a yearning she'd never experienced up until the moment she'd bumped into her on the sidewalk.

She'd never needed Claudine before, but now that she has her, she feels she can't ever let her go.

And after only a few week together, Maya has felt her connection to Claudine growing stronger, and her feelings for her as well. Claudine was so lovely, so passionate, so interested and accepting, not just of Maya, but of everything Maya shared with her about what the world had become. She was dedicated to her cause of finding Elizabeth, thus showing her undying loyalty to the one she loved dearest.

So Maya tried to ignore her own budding feelings for Claudine, tried to cut them before they could blossom, not wanting to impose things on her when Claudine was in search of someone else.

Part of Maya hoped Elizabeth _was_ inside of her, so that Claudine could end her journey and finally rest.

And the other part dreaded that possibility, not wanting Claudine to love just the spirit inside her - a spirit Maya knew nothing about. She wanted Claudine to love _her._ Tendo Maya. She wanted to be with Claudine for the rest of their lives...

But now, as Maya lies in bed with Claudine limp in her arms, feeling the small push of teeth against her flesh, she understands all too well that Claudine doesn't intend to live till sunrise.

Her pulse is weak and fading now against Maya's chest, her fingers uncurling without strength to keep a grip on her clothes. Her jaw parts and her fangs make contact, but never pierce.

Claudine must use the very last shred of her willpower to overcome instinct and stop herself from biting. She becomes very, very still.

Maya feels as though she's been plunged into deep, dark waters, surrounded by a heavy, ubiquitous terror. But for Claudine's sake, she finds her voice.

"Claudine-!"

There's a feeble moan in response, but nothing more.

Maya knows right away Claudine hasn't been feeding like she'd said she was. She'd been growing weaker and weaker with each passing day, and Maya should have known better.

On that first night when Claudine had spilled her heart to her, Maya had spoken the truth as well. She wasn't scared of Claudine, and she still isn't. This girl had been wandering the planet for longer than anyone else had been living, eating only for the sake of staying alive one more day in hopes of finding her lost love.

And yet, when she believed she'd finally found her, she'd been too scared to hurt her. She'd wept in fear of causing Maya any pain. She'd trembled in her uncertainty, constantly tormented between what her body needed and what her heart wanted.

Part of Claudine had wanted Maya to be Elizabeth. Maya knows this. But by the end of it all, she can't be quite sure of what that other part may have wanted.

And now it may be too late to ever ask.

"Claudine!" She cries out again, breaking the frightening silence of the room. Maya pushes herself up, cradling Claudine in her arms, holding her close. When she focuses past the terrified beating of her own chest, she can still feel the tiniest flutter in Claudine's.

Maya eases her back, holding her dearly as she cards a hand through Claudine's hair, thumbing over the tears that had spilled from eyes that are now closed. Claudine's lips are slightly parted in a stagnant breath, her fangs visible, but not a speck of red on either one. Maya tries to fight back tears of her own, to no avail. They spill over, hot and stinging, and drip down onto Claudine's clothes.

"Claudine, please… You can't leave me…" she chokes. "You'd told me… that Elizabeth left you to wallow in grief for an eternity… and now you plan to make me do the same…?" Maya dips forward and holds a soft kiss between her eyes. "Please… spare me… I am not strong enough… I am not strong like you are, Claudine… So please don't go… _I need you…_"

What right does she have to love her this much after only knowing her for two weeks? And what right does she have to love her when they aren't even the same species, with the same lifespan? Maya isn't sure.

But she can't change her heart. She loves Claudine, and she feels like she's loved her for a long, long time. And she doesn't believe that to be any soul's feeling but her own.

She holds her close, sending out silent prayers in hopes that Claudine will be able to understand her. Now that Maya has met her, she is far too weak to live without her.

She begins to cry, tears the likes of which she's never shed before in all her life; heavy, bitter, terrified tears. The tears of loving and losing a stranger she'd somehow known and loved all her life.

"Claudine… please… don't go…" She's begging now. Maya holds her close, sobbing into Claudine's shoulder. She isn't even sure of how hard she should be holding her. Claudine is a wilting flower now, and Maya's greatest fear, after losing her, is hurting her.

Maya's voice leaks into her sobs, and her heart thumps with the deepest kind of sorrow.

And in spite of her fading life force, Claudine's eyes flicker, and flutter open the tiniest bit.

She recognizes that sorrow. It's the very same sorrow _she'd_ existed with for decades after Elizabeth had died. That same hollow misery, yawning a hole deeper and deeper into her soul by the minute, until it all but consumed her.

The only thing that had spared her from such agony had been meeting Maya.

And Maya is right. Claudine knows she's right.

It's unspeakably cruel of Claudine to have come to her, to have fallen in love with her, and to have let Maya fall in love with her, only to try and leave her forever.

For Elizabeth, it hadn't been a choice to go and to leave Claudine to suffer.

But Claudine… she had chosen this. She had chosen this, deliberately knowing in her heart of hearts what it would do to Maya.

That must make her absolutely wretched. She is breaking Maya's heart, subjecting her to a lifetime of remembering regret that stemmed from only a few weeks of loving Claudine. It will haunt her until the end of her days if Claudine isn't there to live them out with her.

She can end Tendo Maya's suffering. She knows she can.

All she has to do is bite.

What Claudine dreads the most is what Maya desires with all her being.

Claudine can feel it. Maya's soul is on fire, raging and wild with the fear of losing Claudine in her arms tonight. It sparks a tiny flame in Claudine's soul as well. Just an ember, but it's enough to replenish some heat.

Claudine realizes she'd given up the day she'd met Maya. She'd already decided in some corner of her heart that she'd end things for her own selfish sake.

What she hadn't realized was that the end of her journey that she sought was only the beginning of Maya's. And Maya could never have a happy ending if Claudine leaves her now.

So Claudine gathers up that tiny ember and holds it close to her heart, where she can feel Maya's beating too. Her nails cling weakly to the blue robes, barely anything, but still enough that Maya can feel it.

With a gasp, Maya eases away, tears streaming all down her cheeks and neck.

"Claudine-?" she chokes, voice hitching.

Claudine struggles to open her eyes once more, her vision hazing and blurring in the darkness of the room, trying to find a source of light. And she finds it looking right back at her, two lavender windows to the soul that matches hers.

"Ma… Maya…"

"Oh-" Maya cradles her closer, breaking down all over again as the tears come in rivulets now. If Claudine had truly wanted to leave, she would have. But the fact that she's trying to speak to her again now… Maya can only pray she's changed her mind.

"Please…" she whimpers. "Oh, please, my dearest Claudine… please don't go… I can't lose you now... not when I've only just found you... Drink from me if it will save your life… _I beg you_…" She kisses her temple, supporting the back of Claudine's head while coaxing her lips closer toward her neck.

Claudine's mouth parts in a desperate gasp for air, thick and choked as her own tears begin to slip free. When she tries to inhale, all that comes is the sweet, tempting scent of Maya's blood.

Claudine grips her sides with hands that shake almost violently, and Maya can't tell if she's trying to pull her in or push her away. It feels like both at the same time. Her heart pounds so hard Maya can feel it more clearly than anything else. It makes her body shudder, so harshly Maya can only imagine how much it must be hurting her. She holds Claudine tightly, trying to keep her from falling apart, guiding her with her answer.

"Please… It's all right…"

She hears a broken whimper being sobbed into her neck.

"I… d-don't…. want to hurt you…"

Maya's heart throbs with pain, and with so much love. She eases back once again, cradling Claudine's head in her palms, brushing away as many tears as she can with quivering fingers. Her eyes overflow with her love for Claudine, shimmering and scared. She lays her soul bare for her here and now.

"Claudine… your fangs could never hurt me… You _living_ could never hurt me… Even if you leave Seishou, or even if you leave Japan, I will come with you… The only thing that will hurt me… is if you go to where I cannot follow…" She kisses her. Not knowing if it's right, but also _knowing_ that it is.

Claudine didn't know if Maya was her soulmate or not, but Maya knows for certain that Claudine is hers.

So she kisses her as bitter tears pour down her cheeks, her heart beating through her veins, fearful of losing the part of herself she'd never even known she'd been missing. She pours her very soul into Claudine, wishing she could fill her with life and love.

And even if it's impossible by their earthly standards, Claudine feels it. She can _feel_ Maya's love - raw, heartfelt, and burning. And yet it's so very soft, so very gentle, so very tender.

Claudine's heart aches like never before.

She knows these lips. She knows this heart. She knows this soul.

But they aren't Elizabeth's.

All this time, she's been chasing Elizabeth, following that intangible thread leading her to where she needed to be, thinking her long-lost love would be the soul that waited for her.

But until now, Claudine hadn't even considered another option.

That perhaps… she could love someone else. That perhaps _Tendo Maya_ is her soulmate now.

Even if she might share pieces of Elizabeth, Maya is Maya. And Claudine loves her for that; for being Maya, not anyone else.

Some part of her must have known this all along, but she'd only just realized it now, when it was almost too late.

Claudine has the power to end both their anguish. Maya had given her consent.

And so Claudine accepts.

Maya hears a small whimper from her, and her heart jolts in the worst kind of panic. She tightens her hold on Claudine, fearful she might sway or lose all her strength.

But as she clings to her, Claudine clings back, nails finding soft purchased in Maya's nightgown, pulling herself closer. She feels Claudine nudging her nose against her the side of her neck, feels her quivering lips hovering over the softest spot. The fact that Claudine is still shaking this much - that she's still so scared of hurting her after everything she's been through - just proves to Maya how dearly she must care for her.

But does she care for Maya, or for Elizabeth…?

Even if it's the latter, Maya won't mind. She just wants her to live.

Keeping one arm across the small of Claudine's back, Maya lifts the other to support her head, guiding her forward, letting her know it's all right.

"Please…" she whispers. "Drink."

She hears a small sob, feels warm tears leaking into her nightgown. Claudine's shuddering lips press a kiss to her skin, and Maya feels her hiccuping around the tears.

Then, the softest murmur.

"I… I love you…"

Claudine parts her lips, allowing the fangs to push against her neck. Maya stiffens only a little, bracing herself not for the pain of the bite, but for the pain of hearing Elizabeth's name fall from her lips.

"I love you-" Claudine whispers, voice breaking. The fangs push more fully. And then-

_"-Tendo Maya."_

Maya's troubled heart suddenly forgets all its worries in that instant. A warm, calming wave of relief and joy washes through her all at once, filling her with such a poignant happiness she doesn't even feel the prick of the fangs sinking into her neck. She smiles through her tears now, hugging Claudine all she can.

"I love you…" she whimpers back. "I love you, Saijou Claudine."

Claudine feels herself shudder as she finally breaks the skin. Warm blood flows up to meet her lips, and she drinks at long last.

And it isn't like the tasteless blood of all the hundreds of girls she'd drank from over the years. Maya's blood is so, so sweet, like honeyed sugar after centuries of eating only dry salt.

Though her dying body craves to take it in with gusto, Claudine forcibly controls herself, not taking a drop more than she needs. She drinks slowly, gently, kissing Maya's neck every time she closes her lips to swallow.

She cries all the while, and tastes a bit of salt from Maya's tears that had dribbled down her neck.

Maya sighs in the utmost relief to know that Claudine won't be dying in her arms tonight. Or any other night, if she can help it.

She feels no pain at all, only sheer, genuine joy and relief.

She holds Claudine closer, encouraging her to take all she needs.

Claudine is still shivering from all of the emotions churning inside of her. But she can feel her body growing stronger now, bit by bit...

And then, all at once, everything stops.

Maya feels the exact second when something goes wrong. Claudine's weight suddenly goes limp in her arms, and the fangs that had gone in so tenderly and gently now slip and scrape on their way out. Claudine sags almost lifelessly, her eyes closed and grip gone. Maya yelps in terror.

_"Claudine?!"_

She holds her up in desperation, seeking her eyes only to find them closed. Her jaw is open slack, droplets of blood still smeared on her lips and fangs. Maya feels tears coming on again.

"No… Claudine, please…" She leans down, dipping her head against Claudine's chest to listen. Her pulse is faint but steady, and Maya can feel her breathing. Cautiously, she eases back again, running a hand through her curls and down her back. "Claudine…?"

That's when it happens.

The bloody fangs in Claudine's mouth begin to shrink back into the canines they should've always been. A sheen of sorts seems to vanish from her skin, making her complexion a bit fuller, more rosy. Her brow furrows, and Claudine gasps back into wakefulness, her eyes wide and panicked for a second until she finds Maya is right here with her.

"Ma… Maya…?"

"Claudine-?" Maya rasps her name, voice thick with relief. "You… a-are you…?"

Claudine slowly reaches her shaking fingers to her mouth. She touches her lips, wiping the blood away, and then runs her fingertips along the top row of her teeth. The fangs are gone.

Tears well up and spill down as Claudine throws her arms around Maya with all the strength she has.

"Human-" she cries. "I'm_ human!_"

"Oh, Claudine!" Maya falls back into the bed with her, never loosening her embrace on Claudine all the while.

They both sob into each other's shoulders, letting their clinging hands roam a bit before clinging again elsewhere.

They weep, softly and happily, wobbly smiles eventually forming on their lips.

Claudine can feel it in her body and soul. She is mortal now. She is dying - very, _very_ gradually.

But death isn't what she thinks of.

It's life. _Living_. Being able to live a full, fair, healthy lifespan.

Together with her soulmate.

Together with Maya.

Maya - who had been drawn to Claudine with the same fervent confusion as Claudine had been drawn to her with.

Maya - who had been so kind, so gentle, so accepting of Claudine, in spite of being what she was.

Maya - who had loved her with all her heart and soul, enough to offer both to Claudine in order to save her life.

Now, Claudine can live together with her.

And one day, she can lie to rest with her.

But until then, she could finally _live_.

For now, Claudine nuzzles into Maya's shoulder and clears the puncture wounds, wiping them of blood. Being human now, she no longer has the desire to drink, but actually is looking forward to a proper food meal with her in the morning. Claudine kisses over the wounds softly, apologetically. Maya tells her there is nothing to apologize for.

"Thank you," Maya sighs, after some time. "Thank you, Claudine. Thank you for… for coming to find me, even after all this time… Now we can spend the _rest_ of our time together." She eases back from her, gazing with sparkling lavender into her eyes. "I've loved you for _so_ long… Before I even met you, I loved you, Saijou Claudine."

Maya kisses her, brushing away the tears on her cheeks, cupping one hand at Claudine's cheek gently and laying the other at her side, feeling her heart.

Claudine kisses her in return, a small half-sob, half-chuckle breaking free as she does so.

"Centuries of love… have led me to you, Tendo Maya. I love you, with all my being. With all my soul."

At their meeting, Maya had promised Claudine she'd help her find who it was she'd been seeking.

And she'd fulfilled that promise, without even knowing she'd been the answer all along.

The two girls laugh and cry together all through the night, kissing each other time and again, hugging each other, carding through hair. They kiss many times, as if making up for all the lost years without one another, murmuring sweet, heartfelt feelings all the while.

By the time dawn breaks, they've both cuddled up close and warm, breathing together, their hearts beating as one. They sleep for now, fitting perfectly in each other's arms.

And their souls dance together, ignited by that little tugging flame that had brought them to one another.

Centuries of love have finally brought them together, broken a curse, and begun the chapter of a new book.

The love of Tendo Maya and Saijou Claudine shall be unlike any other before, or since.

* * *

**A/N: Yes! Though I love the concept of soulmates, I also love the concept of loving people for who they are, not who they might have used to be in past lives.**

**I'll be honest, I can't listen to Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years" without imagining this fic... It's too perfect.**

**Please review!**


	6. Epilogue

**Just a quick wrap-up!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.**

* * *

Epilogue.

It hardly comes as a surprise to any of Maya's friends when, a few days later, the girl she's been seen with so often recently appears beside her for class one morning, dressed in Seishou's uniform.

With a bit of financial help from Maya, Claudine officially transfers into the Academy, claiming to be a brand new student from France who is eager to learn more about theater.

She quickly climbs her way to the top right there with Maya, thanks to all of their covert dances, and it's no secret that the two of them are very happily dating. Maya's friends immediately accept Claudine with open arms, and she fits right in with the group.

And even though Claudine is provided with her own dorm room by the school, she only ever uses it to store her supplies and laundry.

But she spends her nights with Maya, curled up warmly and safely just like those first nights they'd spent together. Only now, they can kiss and love one another without any traces of uncertainty or fear of any kind.

Claudine may have lived and waited centuries to finally find her, but now that she has, her life has only just begun.

At long last, she'll finally get her chance to live her life fairly and fully with Tendo Maya at her side.

The destiny that had connected them across time itself has finally led them together, to a warm embrace where their hearts beat as one, and their souls burn with the love of countless lifetimes.

* * *

**A/N: "Darling, don't be afraid; I have loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more."**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Please review!**


End file.
